freestanding "totem pole" water sprayer, surrounded by a cement circle

Ages: 1-11Surface: rubbery, though dried out/hardened in spots Shade(0-3): 1 (some in small-kids zone, none in big-kids zone)Water: Y (see above) Other: chess tables, extra blacktop, tennis courts, large football field (plus multiple baseball, though seemed largely unused), basketball, small rec center Access: fenced in, but not sure about hours, presumably standard rec center hoursImpressions: Nice spot for little kids, with a deeply shady protected corner of the park. Decent offering for older kids, but the equipment gets no shade from the many trees (although the swings do) and the raggedy ground surfaces and occasional trash and graffiti detract a bit from the experience. Basically fine, with a relatively quiet residential setting, but not a draw from any distanceOverall rating: 7

Tips for playground designers

Always aim high. Manufacturer estimates of appropriate ages to use their equipment appear to be based more on liability concerns than on the reality of kids on the ground. My two-year-old laughs in the face of your "5-12 only" warning! Littler kids don't mind having to grow into a few features of a playset, but insufficient challenge will remove any interest in playing there.

Pay extra for the plastic slides. Count this one double if your site has minimal shade -- there will be seasons in which a metal slide is entirely unusable for anything other than popping popcorn. That can undermine the whole outing. While I'm here, don't forget tunnel slides, which seem to be disproportionately popular, especially with the younger set.

The value of shade can't be overstated, especially for the smallest kids and/or for equipment (like swings) where they're likely to stay for a while. Planting trees over by the benches might look nice, but the ones by the equipment will really bring families back.

Don't forget crawlers! It's the rare playground that has anything at all for kids who crawl or can stand supported, and parents really appreciate those that do. Cement sculptures have always served this population, as do crawl-through tunnels of various types and low "nursery school" slides.